Monday, February 25, 2008

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 26

Betty Harris: I'll Be A Liar (Jubilee, 1963)
Is that a great publicity picture or what? I found this little beauty on a Bert Berns compilation that played so well in the office that each one of us stood up to mull over the track-listing at some point or other. My favourite was definitely Betty's track which seems to squeeze country, soul, doo-wop, blues and gospel into two minutes and fifty-nine seconds of wonderfulness. Betty's theme is that lying might well be wrong, but her man's loving "is, oh, so strong" that she just can't help herself. "If a lie brings your lips a little closer," she hollers, "then I guess I'll be a liar for the rest of my life..." That's romance for you, isn't it?

Bon Iver: Re: Stacks (4AD, 2008)
This is just flaming lovely. I remember reading something about this a week or so ago and thinking, that sounds right up my street, I must get my hands on one. Then, today, I opened the post and there it was. Literally, hooray. So, Bon is from what I imagine are the frozen wastes of North Wisconsin. If anyone reading is currently sat in their North Wisonsin garden drinking a pink gin and wearing shorts and sunglasses then I apologise. Bon plays guitar and sings, but he dresses it all up in this incredible ambience. His voice in amazing, a falsetto ache up there with Antony out of The Johnsons. If you have any sense you will like Bon's new record very much indeed.

6 comments:

BLTP said...

It was going so well pink gin, 4 ad and all and then you had to mention Athony Worral and Thompsons! ps I like the Steve Pilgrim track it had a strangly 1970's feel.

Rob said...

Oh bltp, I love AW&tTs - great record and he is a delight of a fellow. Just think of pink gins and summer gardens and forget about old knitted-hat matey if helps. Agreed on S Pilgrim - like that track very much...

BLTP said...

Rob: I had a listen to Rob Iver last nights is good cheers. It may stop me listening to the Miracle Fortress all the time who knows (oh and Los Campesinos! the welsh Lacrosse!)

Rob said...

"The Welsh Lacrosse!" AMAZING!

Mondo said...

Betty Harris - blimey what a belter, poor ol' sound engineer with his head in 'the cans'
How great would've a duet between Betty and this boy been? soul soarer, Johnny Adams - Reconsider Me
http://www.divshare.com/download/3732022-261

Bon Iver - how can something so simple be so cinematic? It's almost hypnotic, like a mantra with a melody.

Anonymous said...

I can assure you that there's no sunbathing going on in Wisconsin right now...